Acknowledge SC’s adverse remarks on Jayalalithaa: A Raja tells CM Palaniswami

The 2G spectrum allocation and the disproportionate assets (DA) case involving late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is back in focus in Tamil Nadu.

After challenging Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami for a debate following his comments that DMK leaders were accused of corruption, former Union Telecom Minister A Raja has now asked the AIADMK leader to acknowledge that his late boss was “corrupt” as concluded by the highest court of the land.

The war of words between the two Dravidian parties began last week with DMK MP Kanimozhi accusing the current AIADMK dispensation of “corruption” only to get back the same tag from Palaniswami.

The Chief Minister said it was the DMK, not AIADMK, that had indulged in corruption and cited 2G spectrum allocation and Sarkaria Commission that probe corruption allegations against the then DMK government in the 1970s.

Raja, who was exonerated by a CBI court of all charges in the 2G spectrum allocation case along with Kanimozhi, challenged Palaniswami to debate with him on the corruption during Jayalalithaa’s first tenure from 1991 to 1996. On Wednesday, he convened a press conference to ask Palaniswami to “stop spreading lies” and “hiding the truth” to “protect the sanctity” of the Chief Minister’s chair.

“Judge O P Saini not just exonerated me of all charges but also said the case was choreographed. It has been three years since the judge delivered his verdict. Yet, Palaniswami wants to spread lies and hide the corruption by his leader Jayalalithaa. They are trying to keep her out of the DA case by citing her death as an excuse,” Raja said.

Raja also quoted relevant portions from the 2017 Supreme Court judgment that saw Jayalalithaa’s aide V K Sasikala, her sister-in-law Ilavarasi, and V N Sudhakaran, who was the late leader’s foster son, to drive home his point.

Responding to Raja’s challenge, Palaniswami went on the defensive calling the former Union Minister as a “nobody” and a “cash cow” for the DMK. “He may be big in the DMK, but this is AIADMK. Is it necessary that I go, if he asks me to come?” Palaniswami asked. He also said the 2G case was closed due to lack of evidence and noted that an appeal is pending before the Delhi High Court.